Je t'aime!
by BettyHT
Summary: Adam and Annie have a few bumps in their romance and marriage with visitors and other factors interfering with their relationship. Hoss gets a little good romance eventually too.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Adam, what were you thinking? Dadburnit, you need to keep your head in your work or you're gonna lose it!"

"I did have my head in my work. My horse slipped and I got unhorsed. It's not the first time that's happened to a cowboy."

Hoss shook his head and got ready to walk away. He had to lasso a steer so it wouldn't gore Adam but his older brother seemed not to be too concerned about that. He was going to leave before he said something he couldn't take back but turned for one last comment. "She's safe. No harm came to anyone in the family. Marsha fooled me into thinking she loved me, and sorta fooled you that maybe she did. But she was only trying to use us and brought Manning to the Ponderosa after she stole all his money. But Manning got caught, and he's in jail. Marsha got away with Manning's money, but they'll catch her, I think. That clue you gave em about New Orleans might just work out. Pa's at home watching over your wife and son. No one's gonna hurt em while you're out here working."

"I know. I know." Adam slapped some dust from his chaps and picked up the reins for Sport where Hoss had draped them. Hoss walked over to him and slapped him on the shoulder. "Thank you. I never saw that steer coming up behind me."

"It's all right. I'm sorry I yelled, but you scared me good standing there with that steer charging down at ya. Why didn't ya take a look around when you lost your seat?"

"Guess I was embarrassed for being unseated like a greenhorn. That hasn't happened to me lately. Seems that my balance and such hasn't been too good the last couple of days."

"Maybe you're coming down with something. Do ya want ta ride on home and take it easy for a day or so?"

"No, I'll be fine. I just need to get used to working again. There was too much time spent on other things lately. So don't worry. I'll be fine."

"I know, Adam, I know. As long as I think about the work we gotta do, I can forget about all that other stuff."

Seeing how dejected his brother looked, Adam felt for him. "I'm sorry, Hoss, I didn't want to remind you about all of that. You'll find a lady who loves you. Heck, Annie wants to try to help you if you want."

"Help me? Like by being a matchmaker?"

"Yeah, I told her not to do it."

"Why'd you do that? Maybe she could find me somebody real nice."

That surprised Adam so much, he was speechless. Hoss looked at him and laughed. "I ain't done so good by myself. It couldn't hurt to see who she would come up with, now would it?"

Shaking his head, Adam had to smile. "No, I suppose it wouldn't, and she would probably be thrilled to do it. I'll talk to her when we get back."

"We're late with the round-up. We're only gonna be back for part of a day before we have to leave for the drive if we want to get through those passes and back before any snow flies."

"Yeah, I know."

"Don't look so sad. You get a part of a day with Annie, and then we're only gonna be gone for three weeks or so."

The next several days were spent getting the last of the cattle out of draws and box canyons until the count was complete. Then they separated out the number they needed for the drive and herded the others into separate pastures. Leaving a few of the men to watch over the herd that was to be taken to market, Adam rode home with his brothers. He thought the day seemed quite warm and tied his jacket to the back of his saddle even though Hoss and Joe were wearing theirs. Hoss asked him if he was feeling all right, and he answered that he was fine. When they got home, they had dinner and then headed to bed because the next day would be a busy one.

In their bedroom, Annie expected Adam to want to make love that night, but he claimed to be too tired and fell asleep almost immediately. She had to shake him later to wake him so he could take Shep outside. Shep had slept in Hop Sing's room for the nights that Adam had been gone and was very happy to be back in his master's bedroom. When Adam came back upstairs with the dog, he kissed Annie on the cheek as she was nursing Andrew, and then he slipped back into bed and fell asleep. Once Andrew was fed and asleep, Annie placed the baby in the cradle before sliding into bed but found sleep elusive. For the first time in their marriage, there had been no loving of any kind. She wondered what was wrong as she listened to his soft breathing as he slept. She slid over in the bed placing her body next to his warm length and finally fell asleep assured by being so close to him. The next morning, Adam acted as he often did dressing to go do his chores before breakfast, but Annie had hoped because he had ignored her the night before, that he might have some lovemaking on his mind. Instead he got busy with the tasks necessary for the drive. Annie watched him as he worked over paperwork and maps in the house, and he did look very tired yet. She was thinking then that it must be exhaustion and he needed his sleep but was frustrated anyway.

Noticing how tired Adam looked even after a full night's sleep in his own bed, Hoss leaned toward his father as they stood at the corral watching the string of horses Joe had chosen for the remuda. "Pa, does Adam seem all right to you?"

"He seems fine. Why do you ask?"

"He seems kinda tired. I thought he would look more rested now that we're home, but he still looks as tired as he did while we were out doing the roundup."

"Ah, Hoss, he is a married man with a small baby. That could have interfered with his sleep last night."

"I suppose. Something just don't seem right though."

"He'll be fine. The drive will be a short one this time. You just have to get them through the mountain passes to the new railroad spur, and then you can come on home. I'm thinking only about three weeks. That's a lot better than the five or six weeks in the past."

That took Hoss' mind off his worry about his older brother and focused it back on the drive. "We hired on only a couple of extra hands for the drive. Do you want them back here for the fall or should we let them go at the end of the drive?"

"Use your best judgment. There's always a lot of work in the fall, but we wouldn't keep them on over the winter. We already have a full crew for those months with all the men who were here last winter agreeing to stay again."

"Why wouldn't they? Nice bunkhouse, good cooking, and reasonable pay for light work: I'd stay too."

Slapping Hoss on the shoulder, Ben headed to the house chuckling. Inside, he found his wife, Michele, and Annie with their heads together talking. When he asked what they were talking about, they said it was personal. He had some idea what that might be so he didn't pursue it. That night, Annie wore her best and most provocative gown and robe. Adam asked her what the occasion was, so she said he was going to be gone for three weeks, and they ought to spend a little time together. Adam nodded and Annie's heart fell. They made love or they had sexual relations. Adam held her afterwards pulling her close to him, but there was no sweet talk, and then he fell asleep again. The next morning, he hugged her, kissed her and the baby, and headed outside to saddle up and go. When she walked downstairs with Andrew, Michele looked at her.

"Well?"

"It worked, sort of. Michele, what if he doesn't want me any more? He's acting like he's not interested in me. What can I do?"

"He's going to be gone for three weeks. Try to be positive. Maybe it's just everything that's happened, and everything that he has on his mind now. Ben says that he's been moody at times in the past. Maybe this is one of those moods. Don't worry. He loves you. I'm sure of it." Except Michele wasn't at all sure of it, and Annie could detect the doubt in her voice making her worry all the more. Later as she nursed their son, she couldn't stop the tears. She had worried originally about how a man like Adam could love someone like her. His constant reassurances had alleviated that fear, but now she found that her insecurity was as great as it had always been.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Where's Adam? He's supposed to take this shift." Joe was riding night herd duty and was surprised to see Hoss ride up to him to relieve him instead of Adam.

"I know, Joe. He's sleeping and I didn't have the heart to wake him. He's been so tired lately. I think he might be coming down with something."

"Hoss, he hasn't said anything."

"Ya, well, you know how he is. He could have an arrow sticking out of his back, and he'd say he was fine just feeling a might uncomfortable is all. He won't tell anybody he's sick until he keels over, but he wasn't wearing his jacket today, and it's cool up here. All the rest of us were wearing ours."

"Yeah, I noticed that. We're going to be in these mountains for several more days. If he's sick, there's not going to be anything we can do about it up here."

"I know, and that's got me worried. I figured to let him sleep, and we can try to make things easier for him the next few days to see if that helps."

Joe was thoughtful for a moment. "He wouldn't be playing a game with us to see if we would do exactly that, would he?"

"I thought about that, but I think he was already feeling poorly during the roundup. He went to bed real early when we were home one night too."

"There could be a reason for that other than being sick. If I was married to someone that looked like Annie, I think I might be going to bed early every night."

"But that ain't their pattern. They walk outside and such before they go up to bed. Nah, something's wrong. I just don't know what it is."

The next morning, Adam was angry that he had not been awakened to do night herd duty even though Hoss had to shake him awake for breakfast. When Hoss did that, he realized how hot Adam was. His shirt was wet with sweat and his breathing was marked by light wheezing. So as Adam was complaining that as trail boss he should always do his part to keep the respect of the men, Hoss had another comment.

"You're riding in the wagon today."

"What? Why the hell would I want to do that?"

"You got a fever, and you're glassy eyed too. Cookie said you didn't eat no dinner last night, just drank water. You ain't gonna be on a horse today putting yourself at risk and the rest of us too ifn we gotta rescue you when you fall off your horse."

"I'm fine, and I'm not riding in the wagon."

"You think you can fight me on this? I could push you over with one hand the shape you're in. Now do I carry over to the wagon in front of everybody, or do you go on your own?"

The ease with which Hoss won that argument convinced even a skeptical Joe that Adam was truly ill. Hoss took over as trail boss. Adam sat in the wagon and slept most of the next two days leaning back against the wooden supports. Cookie told Hoss that on more than one occasion he had to grab for him so he didn't fall off the wagon seat. Adam's fever continued to worsen for the next several days until he was having trouble even walking by the time they cleared the mountain pass. He had been getting progressively more ill as the drive continued but suddenly was deteriorating faster than Hoss had anticipated. Hoss had Cookie drive the wagon into the small town near them.

There was no doctor there, but it was on the stage line. Hoss handed off trail boss duties to Candy for the remainder of the drive and headed toward home or the first town with a doctor in it. It took almost a week by stage to reach Virginia City. Hoss had to get help to get Adam out of the stage as he intermittently lost consciousness in the last day of their trip. Two men helped Hoss carry him to Doctor Martin's office. Roy always watched the stage come in so he was there as well and had someone ride to the ranch to tell them the news.

Doctor Martin asked Hoss a lot of questions about how long Adam had been ill and when he had first noticed that something was wrong. He could find no rash or any injury. There was no obvious swelling or bruising of any kind. Then the doctor had Hoss help him completely undress Adam removing even his drawers and began examining him very thoroughly using a magnifying glass in some spots. Finally he asked Hoss to bring a lamp very close. He was examining Adam's privates and Hoss wondered what could possibly be wrong. Using some cloth and a scalpel, the doctor made a tiny incision on the bottom of testicle and then used forceps to remove a tiny object which he placed in a metal bowl. He poured alcohol into the bowl. Next he took out bottles of solution and began alternately washing, flushing, and squeezing the incision that he had made. Adam began to thrash around with the pain of it and Hoss had to hold him down but it wasn't enough so they had to tie his legs to either side of the bed and Hoss held his upper body down as the doctor worked. Blood and other fluids stained the cloths the doctor was using. Finally he seemed satisfied and placed a large wad of cloth against the area. Adam had passed out due to the pain and his weakness.

"You can loosen the bindings now. I won't be causing him any more pain."

"Doc, what did you find and what were you doing there?"

"He had a tick embedded under the skin in the soft tissues there. It was releasing toxins into his system poisoning him and causing a type of tick fever. There was some infection there too."

Hoss' face turned white. "People die of that."

"He doesn't have the type of fever you're thinking of. That comes on fast and usually kills within a few days. This is more of a mild infection because the tick was in his body and it shouldn't have been and who knows what it brought in with it. He was fighting the infection but it was making him progressively weaker and would have killed him if it wasn't removed. I wish he had seen a doctor sooner."

"I got him to ya as fast as I could."

"I know, Hoss. I wasn't complaining about you. It's just that so many people out here get so sick and sometimes die because there isn't medical care near enough. You were able to get him here, but what of all those people in those small towns who don't have access to care? That's all I'm saying."

"I was praying along the way for a doctor too. I guess that's all people out there can do."

Doctor Martin had not wanted to make Hoss feel guilty. He got back to his patient. "Because of the delay especially, it will take some time for him to recover, but I see no reason why he won't if we can break that fever. We'll have to get him to take a lot of fluids to help rid his body of the infection, and he'll be very weak for some time. Once we get that fever down, then we can be fairly sure he will make a complete recovery."

"I saw where you was cutting. Is that going to be a problem for Adam?"

"Not any more than it's been. The tissues are soft there, and what I had to do caused some swelling, but as soon as that goes down, he won't have much discomfort."

Hearing some noise in the outer office, Doctor Martin went out to talk with Annie and Ben who had rushed into his office. Michelle walked in carrying Andrew a short time later. After explaining what he could and reassuring Annie that Adam would recover, Annie went in to see him. Paul asked Ben to go see if he could get some ice to place over the incision which Paul was leaving open to drain. As Annie approached Adam, she was dismayed to see his torso shiny with sweat. He was pale and had obviously lost some weight. Hoss was wetting cloths to wipe him down and handed one to Annie who sponged off one side as Hoss did the other. Keeping her busy helped her manage her emotions, but when Adam opened his eyes and said 'Hello, sweetheart', the tears flowed. Hoss excused himself to give the couple a little privacy except it didn't last long because Ben was back with some ice and came with Paul who packed it around the incision after checking the wad of cloth there.

"Good, the drainage is clear. I don't want to stitch that up until tomorrow, but everything is looking fine."

"Ah, Paul, could you tell me what you did."

So Paul explained to Adam that he had picked up a tick that found a nice warm place to snuggle in and had caused all of his symptoms. He showed him the now dead insect in the metal bowl. Paul's plan was for Adam to spend the day there, and in the morning, if the drainage was still clear, he would stitch up the incision for him so he could go home.

"He's going to need to ride in a wagon preferably laying down in the back or at the very least a carriage so that he can recline in the back seat. No sitting on hard surfaces for the next few days. He needs to drink lots of fluid and eat only light meals until he's feeling better."

Annie wanted to stay, but Andrew needed her so she had to return to the Ponderosa that evening with Michele and Ben. Hoss stayed in town to help out as needed. The next day, Ben was back with Annie and the large carriage to give Adam a ride home. Three packages had arrived for Adam, and he took them home with him opening them on the way to show Annie the new books he had ordered. Then he opened the third package and smiled.

"Preston Mitchell is coming for a visit. He sent these books with a note inside."

From the front seat, Ben asked what books he had gotten.

"I got Les Miserables by Victor Hugo which is in French. I sent for The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins because it's from a new school of writing called the Sensation school. I'm curious as to why they call it that. Preston sent me four books by Auguste Nicolas about the philosophy of Christianity. We used to debate the nature of religion and its role in society. I'm sure he wanted to remind me of that."

"Who's Preston Mitchell?"

"We were classmates and rivals in college. I think we both enjoyed the rivalry. We seldom agreed on anything philosophically so we had some spirited discussions. His parents let me stay with them for a couple of holidays because I couldn't go home like other students could. I told him if he ever traveled this way that he could stay on the Ponderosa."

"Do you think such a visit is what you need right now?"

"Annie, I will be bored sitting in bed for days. Preston will help liven up the place so I'm not so ornery."

Admiring his books, Adam didn't see the worried look that Annie had, but Ben did. His son needed to get back to paying attention to his marriage and his wife before he damaged both. Ben hoped that the enforced time at home would give him a chance to do that. He hoped to get a chance to talk with his son about that soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Don't you miss all the girls and the fun we had when we were out? No cares and no one to answer to. I thought we could do more of the same while I was here. Don't you miss that?"

"Yes, I guess I do." Adam paused. Hoss had gone to town to pick up Preston that afternoon. Adam had managed to sit for dinner but now reclined on his bed. Preston had come upstairs with him to chat about old times and so that each could catch up on news about the other. Adam knew what he wanted to say, and wanted Preston to know he was sincere. "But, Preston, I have so much more now. I can't tell you how good it feels to have a woman who loves you dearly at your side through anything. My joy at having a son made me feel like I had won the greatest prize of all. I can't imagine living any other way now. So I do miss the things we did as college students just as those things I did as a youth and just like I miss the things I did as a child. I have those memories, but I find my life now to be more fulfilling than those early experiences."

"What happens to your dreams then? What about travel, and more important, what about those buildings you wanted to design? What happens to all of that? I couldn't give up my plans for the future just to have the same woman by my side. It would be frustrating and demoralizing."

"I haven't given anything up. I can still design buildings. I think it may happen a bit later in my life than I originally intended, but I still work on designs and keep up with changes. I do small projects now, but eventually I want to take all my ideas and put them into a house of my own. After I do that, there may be more opportunities for me to use those skills."

For another hour, Preston talked about his plans and about the lives and accomplishments of former classmates. Finally he pleaded that he was more tired than he thought and excused himself to go to his room to get some sleep. Annie came in shortly after that with Andrew in her arms. She had heard Preston's question earlier about missing all the girls and fun as well as the first part of Adam's answer. Unfortunately she was so upset by then that she left without hearing the rest of the answer. When she came back in the bedroom after Preston left, Adam was reclining in the bed reading Les Miserables. That he was reading a book in French just reinforced her feelings that she was no longer that important to him.

"I'll sleep in the bedroom next door with Andrew again so we don't disturb you." She gathered her gown and closed the door to the adjoining room before Adam could respond. Tears flowed as she nursed their son and then dressed for sleep once the baby was sleeping peacefully in his crib. She lay down on the small bed next to the crib, but sleep eluded her.

The first reaction Adam had was anger over the obvious rejection. She had slept in the room with Andrew the three nights before so that he could spread his legs out and be more comfortable, but she had kissed him goodnight and left the door connecting the two rooms open. Now she had shut him out. He thought about what had happened recently and couldn't determine what it was that had caused this problem. The more he thought, the calmer he became. He began to relive the conversation he had with his father the afternoon just the day before. Ben had said he needed to speak with Adam privately.

"Adam, you haven't been married long, and you never had a long term relationship before."

"What are you trying to get at, Pa?"

"Well, I have seen signs that Annie doesn't feel as loved by you as she should."

"What? I tell her all the time that I love her."

"But do you show it?"

At first, Adam was thinking of the intimate life they had and how satisfying it was to him, but then began to consider that he hadn't asked Annie lately how she felt about it, and if there was something he could do to make her feel more pleasure. With the trouble with Manning, the roundup, the drive, and his illness, he realized it had been literally a month since they had talked about anything but things that needed to be done. There had been no romance for most of that time. He looked at his father who had been waiting patiently as Adam was thinking and nodded. "I guess being married four times does give you a different perspective on things. Thank you, Pa."

"I always try to remember that marriage needs as much attention as any other relationship in life and it's more important too. Sometimes it is the little things that matter most."

With that in mind, Adam got up and crossed to the closed door opening it quietly. He walked in and looked at his wife and child lying there in the moonlight. He knelt down very carefully next to where Annie lay and put his hand on her shoulder wondering if she was asleep. She felt the warmth of his hand and wanted to stay upset and angry with him, but she couldn't. She turned to look at him in the moonlit room.

"N'oubliez jamais que je t'aime!"

"What does that mean?"

"Never forget that I love you."

Even in the moonlight, Adam could see the wet cheeks glistening as she looked at him. He slid his hand down her arm until he reached her hand. He grasped it gently and whispered softly to her. "Come with me."

Almost reluctantly, Annie slipped from the bed and stood next to Adam as he rose from bended knee. He turned toward their bedroom and tugged just a little to get her to come with him. Then he closed the door to Andrew's bedroom and pulled Annie into his embrace. "Will you talk with me now?" That simple statement brought forth more tears. Adam held her and caressed her back until the crying subsided.

"I heard you before. I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I thought I might be able to put Andrew in his bed early. He was so tired."

"What did you hear?"

"When Preston asked if you missed all the girls and the fun, and you said yes."

Adam waited for more and when there was no more, he had to ask. "You didn't hear the rest of my answer?" At her silence, he had his answer. "I said yes I missed those things like I missed the things of a child or a youth. I told him that what I have now though is so much better than any of those things I no longer have. There is nothing better than having a woman who loves you and a child that you made together."

"Really? That's what you said?" It was Adam's turn to nod. "I bet he didn't understand that at all."

"No, I don't think he did. I think you have to have the treasures I have to know how valuable they are. I love you, Annie, more than life itself. I cannot imagine living without you. If I ever take you for granted and forget to let you know how valuable you are to me, you need to give me a kick to remind me. I should make a greater effort to find time for you and give me a kick too if I ever neglect you."

"I could have done that, but you're pretty tender there now."

"You wouldn't have to kick me there!"

"Ah, but I would want to make sure you remember."

"You are quite sassy sometimes."

"I thought you liked that about me?"

"Yes, I do. I like that you can stand up to me. A docile woman would have grown to be predictable. You surprise me all the time. But I do want to remind you not to go to far. I still could spank you."

"You wouldn't dare. Remember, I can shoot."

Adam laughed softly into her hair as he nuzzled her. "And remember how we promised to be honest with each other?"

"I know. I'm sorry. I should have talked with you. I guess my old insecurities haven't been completely banished yet."

"By the way, I don't think I'm that tender any more." Annie couldn't see it, but if she could, she knew she would be seeing dimples right about then. Out of deference to his guest, Adam had worn a nightshirt. Annie reached down and grabbed the hem lifting the shirt up and over his arms and head as Adam raised his arms. Then Adam did the same with her gown pulling it up and off of her. He ran his hands down her back and felt her shiver. "Are you cold?"

"No, your touch does that to me. It's like warm lightning. It just makes my body quiver all over."

"What would you like me to do first?"

Annie smiled. He was being gentle and romantic like he was when they were first together. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered a few ideas in his ear. He was very agreeable to her suggestions. Neither got that much sleep and ended up oversleeping a little the next morning until Andrew reminded them that it was time to get up.

When they walked down the stairs together and smiling, Ben had a slight smile too especially when Michelle turned to him with a grin. All was well again. Adam walked slowly though so Ben asked him if he was hurting and then actually may have blushed a little when Adam said he had been exercising a bit too energetically the night before. Preston watched the whole scenario and found it all very surprising. From what he had seen the day before, Annie had been rather cool to Adam but now they were very warm with each other. Adam was even pointing out items in the room and giving her the French names for them.

Because Adam had promised a tour of some of the Ponderosa to Preston, Hoss volunteered to hitch up the carriage for him. Adam thanked him, but when Hop Sing offered to make a lunch for them to take along, Adam declined. He said that he wanted to be home to spend some time with his wife and son because they had been separated so much lately. Hoss and Joe volunteered to show Preston some of the ranch such as the horse breaking, but he declined saying he would enjoy some quiet time reading while Adam was with his wife and son. The disdain in Preston's voice was subtle but there, and the whole family heard it. He had been polite so far so he was forgiven that transgression. After breakfast, Adam kissed Annie and then gave Andrew a big hug before he left with Preston to take a short tour.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Now that is a view that speaks pure profit to me. You could cut those trees and make a fortune. There has to be gold and silver under those lumber too which would be easier to access after the trees are removed. Then you could ship lumber across the lake to California saving the expense of rail transport."

"There are several problems with your scenario."

"Adam, you're trained as an engineer and an architect. I'm sure you could overcome any obstacles. I could handle any legal issues if they arise. I'm here to see if we should set up a law office in San Francisco to handle our business dealings here as we are expanding our trade with China and the Sandwich Islands."

"It's good to see you so enthusiastic, Preston, but those weren't the kinds of problems I see in this ambitious plan of yours. If we cut the trees, the land erodes. If we mine extensively here, the tailings and such would all end up in the lake eventually. Then we would own an empire of barren rock and dirty water."

"You would have enough money by then that you could live anywhere you want to live. You could build yourself a magnificent place and one for each of your family too."

"Preston, we want to live here. We want the land to be our legacy to our children. We have all the wealth we need."

"But you could have so much more."

"Why would we want more? We have what we want."

"But you have to work every day at hard physical labor. You have things like tick infections to worry about. What of your son? Don't you worry about what would happen to him out here?"

"Preston, we do get newspapers here. I have seen all of the large cities of this country. There are dangers everywhere. Here at least, you can usually see them coming and have family and friends to stand by your side as you face them."

The debate between Adam and Preston continued until they reached the Ponderosa ranch house again and had to agree to disagree. Lunch was quite good of course with Hop Sing cooking. Preston had to comment on that too.

"You let your servant speak so familiarly with you and tolerate even his imprecations about your behavior. Doesn't anyone in the wilderness teach their servants to know their place?"

That pushed Annie too far and she spoke before Adam or anyone else could. "Mr. Hop is a member of this family as much as anyone else. He deserves our respect, and he has our love. It is not for some horse's patoot from the east to tell us who belongs here and how they should act."

"I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds. I never meant to insult anyone. Please accept my apology."

Everyone noted that Preston had apologized for irritating them but not for the words he had spoken, but he was a guest and deserved their forbearance so they gave it although begrudgingly on the part of several. Adam lightened the mood when he said he thought he heard his son calling him. He went to get him from his nap and brought him to the table where he cooed in Adam's arms to the delight of the rest of the family. Preston was surprised that a child especially a baby was even welcome at the dinner table but said nothing after his last comment had been met with such rejection.

After lunch, Annie took Andrew upstairs to nurse him as Adam and Preston sat down to a game of chess. Preston expected Adam to be out of practice with no worthy opponents out west to challenge him so was quite surprised at how quickly Adam defeated him. Annie returned downstairs with Andrew who put his arms out wide when he saw his father. Annie smiled for Andrew was still very young but he loved his father dearly.

"Preston, I'm sorry, but I have an earlier engagement. Perhaps you would like to play Annie for a bit. She's been learning the game and is an apt pupil." Adam sat then without waiting for his answer for his attention had shifted to his son.

Seeing Preston's disdainful look at Adam and at her made Annie furious. She sat down by the chessboard and began arranging the pieces. She would concentrate and try to remember everything Adam had taught her because she wanted more than anything to beat this man. Saying nothing, she simply waited until Preston nodded to her to take the first move. She did and the match was on. He used the same gambit he had used on Adam and it worked no better leaving his pieces vulnerable. After an hour of play, he had to concede. He congratulated Annie, and then stalked out of the house. Adam grimaced, handed Andrew to Annie, and followed Preston outside.

"I can't believe you let me be humiliated like that."

"You let yourself be humiliated. You opened against me with a gambit that is played when you intend to defeat your opponent quickly but leaves you open to checkmate if that plan fails. So I checkmated you in very few moves. When you played Annie without respect for her abilities, she taught you a valuable lesson."

"Like she gives you lessons every night?"

"Excuse me?"

"At night, I can hear you, you know, rutting with your peasant wench. Last night I could hardly sleep thinking about the two of you acting like beasts in the wilderness. But that's where we are, after all, isn't it. And you found yourself a quite willing trollop who will let you do anything you want."

"Preston, watch your mouth. We may have been friends for a long time, but I will not tolerate such comments."

"What, you can't stand hearing the truth?"

Adam hit him then and watched as he fell back against the stable door.

"Adam, don't forget I was boxing champion in our class. You better apologize for what you did, or I will have no choice but to teach you a lesson in manners."

Saying nothing, Adam stood with those cold eyes he could use when he was most angry. Preston wasn't about to be intimidated.

"That's the same look you gave me in the ring when we boxed for the championship. It didn't work then, and it won't work now."

Preston stood and slid his jacket off laying it across a barrel. Adam removed his as well. For the first time, Preston was a bit unnerved. Adam had added a lot of bulk since their college days, and it appeared as though it might all be muscle. Preston still had confidence in his skills but worried what it would be like if one of those fists made contact with him. He didn't have long to wait. His first blows were swept aside as Adam stepped inside his defenses with sheer force and began to pummel him. He was on the ground in less than a minute. It wasn't the gentleman's boxing he was used to doing. He had met cold fury and could not counter it. He raised his hands in surrender. Adam took a moment breathing deeply to calm himself.

"Why would you say such awful things? We have opened our home to you and treated you with respect even when you acted in a less than becoming way."

"You have an empire here, and you won't even use everything you have. You have a beautiful wife who adores you. You show the love for your son without any shame letting anyone who sees you know how much you care. You decide how to live each day and to hell with the rest of us and our opinions."

"That bothers you so much? Why?"

Standing slowly and holding a handkerchief to his bloody nose, Preston looked directly at Adam. "Because I'm jealous. I came out here to lord over you all that I've done and accomplished, and I find you have riches beyond compare. My wife wouldn't even travel with me, and she certainly doesn't allow me the liberties your wife allows you. My wife does her duty and has borne me two children. That's it. My children treat me as a proper father which means I am the sole means of support and they must ask my permission to do things. I have never been hugged by either of my children. I have never had one of them sit in my lap and lay his head against my chest. You have heaven here, and never did I expect that I would be jealous of what you have, but I am."

"You can have it too. You just have to reach out and grab it."

"I doubt that. If I move here, my wife has told me that I should grant her a divorce so she can marry a proper gentleman. My children are aghast that I would think of bringing them out here. Adam, to have what you have, I would have to start over."

"I'm sorry."

"I don't want your pity. I just thought it was time to let all the truth out. Now I suppose I ought to pack and be on my way."

"You're welcome to finish your stay here as planned. Although I think my father is going to expect an explanation from me about why my guest looks like he was in a saloon fight."

"Yes, and I suppose then he will give you some fatherly advice and pat you on the shoulder."

"Maybe. You sound envious of that too and it's something I could do without sometimes."

"You may find it constraining, or knowing you, even suffocating at times, but my father touched me once in my lifetime and never gave me any advice. He told me what to do. When I graduated college with my degree, he said fine and tapped me on the shoulder. He said I was ready then to take over the New York office."

"Preston, whatever you decide to do, you can count on my help."

The two friends walked side-by-side into the house. Nothing was said by anyone about the bruises on Preston's face. He did make a greater effort to be pleasant and only annoyed Adam with his stories of some of Adam's less stellar experiences while in college as the others laughed. "Remember that Christmas that you were with my family. He stayed in my sister's room and she had to sleep with my baby brother. Well she got up to get a drink of water and walked into her room forgetting in her sleepy state that Adam was a guest and sleeping in her room. She took off her robe and slipped into bed with him. He didn't know what to do, so he got up and came to my room. My bed was much too small for two so he ended up sleeping on the floor all wrapped in a blanket. My father went to wake Adam the next morning before he woke me. He found my sister in that bed and the roar must have been heard for miles. We were scared, and it took quite a while to explain what had happened as no one had the complete story so we had to piece it all together bit by bit. If we hadn't, Adam would be my brother-in-law now."

"Preston, I never stayed at your house again."

While doing chores in the stable, Hoss and Joe made a number of bawdy comments to Adam about sleeping with Preston's sister. That night, Annie lay by Adam's side after they had made love again. She asked him what had happened with Preston so he told her. He had not wanted to do that, but they had pledged honesty with each other so he had to tell her. Surprisingly, she said she felt sad for Preston instead of angry. Adam was relieved by that, but it didn't stop Annie from a few barbed comments at Preston the next day to let him know she knew what he had said.

Properly chastised, Preston apologized and he realized he had made a sincere apology to a woman probably for the first time in his life. He began to like Annie more and more realizing what a good choice Adam had made. Then he sent a telegram to his wife telling her he had decided they ought to relocate to San Francisco. Her return message said his father would help her with the divorce decree on the grounds of desertion if he did not return immediately. He had some mixed feelings about that and sent a telegram to his father. The reply was what he hoped to get.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"That's rather cavalier of you, and sudden too, isn't it?" Leaning against the corral fence, Adam was surprised at Preston's revelations about his plans for his future, and that they did not include his wife who wasn't going to be his wife for long apparently.

"Adam, my marriage was for business. It wasn't for love. She will make another match for probably the same reason. She wanted financial security for herself and any children she had, and she wanted to be in the right social circles. I gave her that."

"But, Preston, what of your children? You can just say goodbye to them like this?"

"Adam, they will miss me less than their mother will miss me. As long as there is financial support so they can maintain their lifestyle and their friends, they won't mind."

"I just can't accept that as true. And your father will help you with all of this?"

"He has what he wants. He has grandchildren to carry on his name. He has me out here to expand our business operations and bring in more money. He'll probably step in and suggest a suitable match for her to stop the gossips. Perhaps she will marry my cousin. His wife died in childbirth and he has no children. This way she wouldn't even have to change her name, and he would get children who are biologically related to him."

"This is incomprehensible to me."

"That's because you live out here. You have never lived with the rigid social conventions of eastern society. There are all sorts of rules and nothing at all about feelings. I feel more free now than I have ever felt in my life. I will never marry again unless it is my idea and perhaps even for love. It seems to have made you quite happy to have done so. I'm not really all that sure of how to go about it, but when I return to San Francisco, I shall find a place to live and start attending events until I find some companionship. I doubt that people out here would be so intolerant of someone who is divorced. In fact, I doubt whether I should have to even tell anyone that. I only need inform them that I am in fact unmarried."

"I said I would help you, and I will, but I have to tell you what I think too."

"I know you do, Adam. It's one of the reasons I value our friendship so much. We have always been able to be honest with each other, and even when we think the other is being foolish or completely wrong, we can still count on the other to help. Now, in a week or so, I plan to return to San Francisco. I will need a place to live until I can buy or build a home. I'll need office space as well and probably letters to introduce me to various clubs and such so that I will be welcome."

"I can help you with all of that. I will be gone for a few days though. Pa told me we are expecting another guest this week. She is the daughter of an old friend of his. We often seem to meet his old friends this way. Pa's friend is in Sacramento for business and will be tied up in meetings over the railroad contracts and bidding for the better part of a month. His daughter is coming here to relax and have some fun."

"Her father will let her journey alone?"

"No, only for part of the way and that's why I've been delegated to go get her. I still get uncomfortable after an hour or two in the saddle, and that makes me expendable right now. I'll probably be gone a few days. I'm taking the stage to Reno and then meeting her as she disembarks from the California train. We'll make the return trip by train on the spur to Carson City. Someone from the ranch will meet us there."

"And I am to behave myself while you're gone and not antagonize any member of your family?"

"Well, there is certainly nothing wrong with your cognition. Yes, that is exactly what I am asking."

"When are you leaving?"

"This morning. Annie is giving me a ride to town. Would you like to ride along?"

"Would she mind?"

Annie walked up behind Preston. "Certainly, but as a guest, you do have privileges. Now let's get going. Andrew is sleeping now but he'll be missing me in three or four hours."

"You are direct."

"If you mean honest, yes. Most people out here are. We don't have time to play silly games. Sometimes we need information, and we need it when we ask. Now do you still want to ride along?"

Smiling, Preston nodded. Adam went to the house to grab his valise, and then climbed in the carriage with Annie at his side and her arm through his elbow as she leaned against him. Preston sat in the back and relaxed watching Adam and Annie and plotting how he would be changing his life to achieve some of the same things Adam had, but doing it in style in the city and among the wealthy and powerful. He hoped to have it all yet. Annie told him there would be a party when their guest arrived, and she and he would be the guests of honor. They would be inviting people in town after Adam left on the stage. Preston was agreeable to that for he had been to town several times now and found it more to his liking than he would ever have thought possible. He wondered if there was something playing at Piper's for which they could get tickets. Then he invited Annie to have lunch with him at the new French restaurant in town although she had to decline because she needed to get home to Andrew. She did mention though that they could order food and take it with them for even Hop Sing did not attempt the pastries and a few other things that the restaurant had on its menu. Preston never would have thought that such things would be available in a town so far west, and he had learned that San Francisco had much more to offer. Preston's father had been very agreeable to the idea that Preston would handle their business dealings in the west and therefore he would never have to travel out there. He made that decision without knowing that for the first time in his life he had done something to truly make his son happy.

At the stage, Adam pulled Annie into a hug and kissed her soundly reminding her of the lusty loving of the night before. She actually blushed a little when he whispered in her ear what he planned for them to do on his return. Seeing her slight blush, Preston had some idea what Adam had said. He remembered that when Adam was in school, he had been very adventurous with the ladies while Preston had been more staid, but Preston was willing to watch and learn now for he had plans. Adam shook Preston's hand and then swung up into the stage taking his seat with two other passengers. Annie waved as the stage left and then looked at Preston.

"Well, Sheriff Coffee and Doctor Martin are first on our list to invite. Then we'll see the minister and a few others. We can stop at the restaurant on the way and put in an order so we can pick it up before we go."

"Annie, I didn't bring much money with me. If we're bringing lunch back, I'm afraid I won't be able to pay the bill."

"We'll put it on a tab. Everyone in town is willing to do that for us."

Preston was thinking at that point that it was nice being one of the big fish in a small pond. There were some other wealthy people who lived in Virginia City after they made fortunes in mining. The wealth the town generated was in evidence by the number of dress shops and jewelry stores he saw. There were of course many saloons and restaurants as well. He found Annie to be a pleasant conversationalist but then realized he should have known that. Adam had said something to that effect when they were in school. Preston remembered the conversation well when Adam had ignored a beautiful girl who wanted his attentions beyond one date. "I need someone with whom I can talk when we're not in bed." It seemed like a good standard to use.

As they walked, Annie introduced Preston to a number of people. He was especially happy to meet the banker and several mine owners who had just come from a meeting. He was surprised that Annie did not invite them to the party. They did stop in the Cattleman's Association and invite all the men who were there, and Annie asked them to spread the word among the other ranchers.

"Doesn't the president of the Bank of California branch here deserve an invitation?"

"Papa Ben said to invite our friends. The party is not to seal deals or make connections with wealthy people. This is a party to introduce you and our other guest to the friends of the family. As you should already know, Cartwrights are loyal to their friends."

"You don't like me much, do you?"

"I like you better now that you hold back on some of your remarks and looks. I don't think you've changed at all, but Adam, shall we say, convinced you to mind your manners. I am grateful to you for making the effort. It just give credence to the argument that you are a good friend of his."

"You don't believe I think of Adam as a friend?"

"I think perhaps you do, but I'm not sure you know what is expected of a friend. You do what suits your purposes."

"You make me out to be a coldhearted scoundrel using people to get what I want."

Looking at Preston, Annie shrugged. It was exactly what she thought, but Adam said Preston was his friend so she decided she had said enough already, and chose to change the subject by pointing out that they were near Piper's and could get tickets for the show that was in town then.

Preston decided he needed to make a greater effort and needed to mend some fences so for the next few days, he spent time touring some of the ranch as Hoss and Joe had offered to show him. He surprised himself by finding the horse breaking corrals to be fascinating as he watched man and horse fight to see who would be the master. Sooner or later, all of the horses capitulated. Preston mentioned that it would make a fine subject for gambling, and was surprised to learn from Joe that in a rodeo held each year, that did happen.

"If you extend your visit by a few days, you can see a rodeo. It's a week from Saturday. There's a big dance at night, fireworks, and all sorts of things. Adam isn't in the kissing booth this year, so perhaps you would like to take an hour."

"Joe, that does sound like fun. Perhaps I will ask Adam if it would be all right for me to stay just a few days longer."

"Well, do you want to ride with Hoss to Carson City to pick him and our guest up later today? Annie can't go so Hoss would probably appreciate the company."

Trying his best not to show how he felt about riding several hours with Hoss, Preston smiled and agreed. As they traveled to Carson City, Preston made an effort to be interested in the things that Hoss liked to talk about, but he had little interest in cattle breeding, ranching, or wildlife so it was difficult. When they arrived in Carson City and got a look at the guest, Preston was very happy to have made the ride though. Adam was standing on the railroad station platform with a blonde woman who appeared to be about twenty-five years old, and had the body of a Greek goddess and the face of an angel.

"Hoss, Preston, I would like to introduce Margaret McCloud of Boston."

"I'm very happy to meet you gentlemen. My luggage isn't much, but I could use some help with it."

Preston and Hoss nearly collided with each other as they scrambled to pick up the three large valises that Margaret had brought with her. Adam stood smirking, and Margaret saw him and shook her head. "You said there's another one on the ranch?"

"Yes, I have two brothers. You've met Hoss, so Joe will be happy to see you when we get to the ranch. Preston is a good friend from my college days. I didn't expect him to be here."

Having secured Margaret's luggage in the carriage, Preston and Hoss rushed back to offer to escort Margaret to the carriage. She obliged both by putting out both hands for them to grasp. The three walked to the carriage with Adam walking behind carrying his small valise. He wondered how they would work the arrangement in the carriage, but Hoss was forced to drive so he was going to lose out until Margaret said she would like to sit up front to see the views as they traveled. The look on Preston's face was priceless. As Preston grimaced from the back seat, Adam grinned, tossed his valise in the boot of the carriage, and climbed into the back seat. Then he had to tell Hoss they could leave because it seemed his brother was unaware of anything except the beautiful woman seated next to him. Adam prepared himself to be entertained by the antics of three men for the next week or two while Margaret was visiting.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"I thought Joe's eyes were going to pop out of his head when he met Margaret. She isn't going to be bored while she's here, is she?"

Annie was leaning on Adam's chest and playing with his chest hair as they talked in bed. Andrew was sleeping peacefully in the next room. Adam had claimed to be exhausted from his travels and retired early. Annie of course had to nurse Andrew. As soon as she finished that, Adam had helped her undress. All he was wearing at the time were his pants so he soon joined her in bed, and they enjoyed some time caressing and kissing before making love. Now warm and relaxed, they had time to talk. Early each night and sometimes in the morning before Andrew awakened they had found were their best times to share their thoughts. The topic this evening was Margaret and the impact she had had on three men. Ben and Michele had been enchanted with her, but Hoss, Joe, and Preston were almost literally falling over each other to try to spend time with her.

"On the way back from Carson, Hoss sat up on that seat like he had a rod down his back. You have never seen him sit up straighter. He told her about every animal that lives in the Sierra. He was even talking about tree frogs. She seemed interested, but Preston was just frustrated. He literally leaped from the carriage when we got here so he could help her down. Then Pa and Joe came out, and Joe poured on the charm. So when you saw her, there was Joe on one side and Preston on the other, and all three trying to walk through the doorway at the same time."

"What happened to Hoss?"

"He helped me unhitch the carriage and bring in the luggage. I think he feels like he doesn't stand a chance with her. But the funny thing is that she seemed more interested in talking with him than in anything Preston or Joe have had to say."

"Why is that funny?"

"Most women only see Hoss as big, and don't recognize the value of the man. Margaret seems to like him a lot already." Adam could see Annie quite well because as usual, they had not turned down the lamps when they made love. He got concerned when he saw how she looked. "Now don't get involved in this. It's up to Margaret to choose to spend time with any or all of them. She's a smart lady. She can handle it."

"Well, it couldn't hurt to help Hoss out a little. We know how Joe can be. What's Preston like when he's pursuing a woman?"

"A lot like Joe, and he really shouldn't be pursuing a lady yet anyway. He's still married until that divorce decree arrive and he signs it and sends it back so it can be registered."

Hearing the change in Adam's tone of voice, Annie had a question. "You don't like what he's doing, do you?"

"No, and I've told him so. It's not so much the marriage. The way he described it, that I could understand. But he's turning his back on his children too so he can do what he wants. It isn't the right thing to do."

"Preston did try to be nicer while you were gone. He did help me with some of those French words and phrases you left for me to study. N'oubliez jamais que je t'aime!"

"Très bon travail."

"J'ai étudié tous les soirs."

"Excellent! Je t'aime. And such hard work and studying should be rewarded."

"Did you have something in mind?"

"Yes, I thought that I could give you a massage."

"Would that be a reward for me or for you?"

"Sweetheart, it will be a reward we can both enjoy." Adam pulled Annie toward him so he could begin massaging her back as she lay across his chest. Things progressed from there as he massaged every part of her, and she found that she did indeed enjoy it, and he was correct too in that he enjoyed it as much as she did. They overslept again the next morning and made everyone wait breakfast on them. Both apologized but Adam could see from Ben's look that he wasn't at all in a forgiving mood. He began to think he needed to spend more time on the plans for a new house.

Breakfast was dominated by descriptions of the Ponderosa and all the sights to be seen. Preston was out of luck on that one, so Margaret's day was split between Joe and Hoss. She would tour the ranch to see the horses with Joe, and then after lunch, she would get to ride with Hoss to see some of the cattle operations. Preston looked glum. By dinner, there was all sorts of things to discuss. After dinner, Preston offered a chess game, Hoss offered checkers, and Joe offered a walk in the garden. None of those offers were accepted as Margaret said she was going to be with Michele and Annie as Hop Sing had agreed to teach them how to make noodles.

In the kitchen, the three ladies watched and learned from Hop Sing as they got to know each other. For Margaret, it was a pleasant break. She was so tired of men trying to impress her. She knew she was beautiful and often wished she wasn't because men never seemed to care to get to know her. They wanted her beauty, but never worried about winning her heart or touching her soul. Annie broke the ice about the three would be suitors first.

"So, which of the guys do you like best?"

"I'm not so sure I like any of them all that much. You see, I know what I look like. Men are always falling all over themselves to get near me. It is tiresome."

Michele and Annie shook their heads over that one. Who would have thought such beauty could be a burden. Annie still wanted to know what kind of man attracted Margaret's attention so she asked.

"Now don't take this the wrong way, but I enjoyed time with your husbands more than the time I spent with the others today. Adam was not trying to impress me or win me, so we talked about all sorts of things to pass the time. He is so proud of his wife and son, and you can hear the love in his words. Ben talks the same way. They treat me like a normal person, and they ask about me and what I like just like you're doing. Hoss was like that on the ride from Carson City yesterday telling me all about animals here and asking me about animals I had seen on my travels, but then today he was just like all the other men."

"So you'd rather go see a tree frog than having them try to impress you with how much better they are than any other man?"

"Yes, Annie, that's exactly it. I want to be treated like any person would like to be treated. To many men, I am an object like anything else they can possess. I want to be a friend and confidante not a prize. Hop Sing has been wonderful to me too treating me like a member of the family as soon as I arrived. Hop Sing, I can see why the family loves you so."

Hop Sing smiled and nodded. He wasn't quite ready to join in this conversation but had an idea of how he could help one of the sons the next day. Annie was having similar thoughts but would have to enlist Adam's help. Michele looked over at Annie as she concentrated on her plan. She smiled for she and Annie had discussed helping Hoss with Margaret and now it seemed Annie was formulating a plan. The rest of the evening passed quickly as they learned how to make the noodles and then helped Hop Sing plan the menu for the party. They all agreed to help with the cooking and the baking the day before the party. Michele told Margaret that as a guest she didn't have to do that and got one of those looks from Margaret.

"Sorry, sorry, I forgot just for a moment that you want to be treated just like everyone else. But I will have to explain to Ben why our guest will be working in a hot kitchen." The three ladies chuckled at Michele's comment and then helped to clean up the mess they had made.

Surprised that Annie wanted his help and reluctant to help her play matchmaker, Adam did have to agree that her request was reasonable. "So all I have to do is talk to Hoss and tell him to do ordinary things with Margaret and not try to impress her?" Annie nodded. "All right. I can do that, but don't ask me to do anything more, please. I'm not comfortable with this matchmaking stuff, and Joe's going to be upset enough. I don't want him upset with me."

"If you do this well, no one will ever know you did anything."

"No one except you, Michele, and Hoss."

"Well, yes I suppose that's true, but we can all keep secrets."

"While you're plotting, is there any particular activity that you think Hoss ought to do?"

"No, if he's himself, I think that will do it. He just has to do what he would do if the guest on the Ponderosa wasn't the most gorgeous female I have ever seen."

"Oh, really? I hadn't noticed."

That started a pillow fight that ended up the same way all of their fights did. Adam grabbed Annie pinning her arms behind her back and kissing her as he apologized for making her angry. This time it was mock anger so the whole pillow fight only lasted less than a minute. Making up took much longer and made them sleep very relaxed and warm in each other's arms.

The next morning, Joe was giving Margaret a chance to ride one of the their horses and take him through some of the training they did with the horses. Annie wondered if somehow he had heard their conversation of the night before. Then she realized he was wearing his best shirt and had polished his boots. He was still trying to impress Margaret even if the activity of the morning would be something she would enjoy despite Joe's efforts to make her concentrate on him. Joe wanted to end his time with Margaret on a picnic, but Hop Sing had told her he had something special for her lunch so she declined. When Joe returned with Margaret from their ride, her horse was behaving as Margaret had done a good job letting him know who was boss. Joe took care of the horses so Margaret could go inside to freshen up before lunch. Adam was working the forge and had his shirt laying over a barrel. Margaret couldn't help but notice when she dismounted, and she kept looking back as she walked to the house. She saw Annie and Michele as she entered the house. Pointing behind her, she looked at Annie and only had one thing to say.

"You are a very lucky woman." Blowing a puff of air out to emphasize her statement, she excused herself to go to her room to change clothes.

Annie and Michele walked to the door to see what she could mean. Michele smiled and Annie had a self satisfied look as they watched a shirtless Adam pounding away at metal on the anvil. "She is right. You are a very lucky woman."

At his desk, Ben had to ask what they were talking about. Annie answered before she went out to talk with Adam.

"Oh, it's just Adam working at the forge."

Shaking his head, Ben got back to his paperwork. He was used to women stopping to stare whenever one of his sons was working shirtless. Usually they weren't members of the family, but then he thought they probably saw it so often, they didn't need to comment any more. He had to admit his share of staring ever since Margaret had arrived. She was certainly a treat for the eyes. A few minutes later, Hoss walked in from his morning work. He had already washed in the washroom and put on the clean shirt that Hop Sing had handed to him.

"What's for lunch? I'm powerful hungry."

Now Hop Sing walked out and handed a basket to Hoss. "All special food. You picnic with Missy Margaret. I promise her special lunch."

"Well, thank you, Hop Sing, but I don't rightly know ifn she wants to go on a picnic with me."

Coming down the stairs, Margaret had heard. "I do like the idea of a picnic. Perhaps it is time to go down to that lake I've seen in the distance? Is it far?"

"No, ma'am, not too far. I can take you down to the lake. I'll go hitch up the buggy right now."

Annie walked back in and told Hoss that Adam had the buggy ready for him. Hoss smiled and looked over at Margaret. "Ready for our picnic?" Margaret smiled and took his arm. Hoss had the biggest grin he could manage as he walked out with her. Adam was holding the reins and tossed them to Hoss once he helped Margaret up into the carriage.

Annie came out to take Adam's arm as she looked up at him. "Did you have that talk with Hoss?"

"Yes, I told him to be himself. He didn't think much of the idea, but I told him you and Michele thought he should try that. He listened because you two suggested it. Apparently he has little confidence in my ability to win women."

"Perhaps having witnessed how you did with me, he thought perhaps you weren't the best at winning a lady's heart and courting her?"

Thinking back to how difficult that had been for him, Adam sighed. "You may be right about that. It's all up to Hoss now."

At first, Hoss chatted about the weather and the trees and anything he could think of so he wasn't talking about himself. Then he did the smartest thing he had done so far. He asked Margaret to compare where she grew up to the Ponderosa so she got to talk about her childhood which then led to the two of them comparing their experiences. At the lake, they hiked up some boulders to see the lake from where Hoss said he and Adam liked to dive into the lake. They enjoyed their lunch up there as Hoss had carried the basket with him. Then they clambered down and walked along the shore. Margaret turned out to be good at skipping stones so they had a few contests to see who could get the most skips. Margaret had more skill but Hoss was stronger so it ended up being close each time. They laughed and took off their footwear and walked in the cool water. As the sun began to dip, both of them regretted that the afternoon was over. On the ride back, they found all sorts of things to talk about. When they returned just before dinner, a perturbed Preston and Joe were waiting on the porch. They heard the two laughing before they saw them which only irritated them more, but when Margaret accepted their escort into the house, they were placated somewhat. Hoss took care of the carriage, and Annie sent Adam out for a progress report.

"Adam, we had a good time. She said she would like to think of me as a friend." Hoss was a little discouraged by that.

"Hoss, you didn't think you would be in love after one afternoon, did you?"

"Well, no, but I was hoping for more than being a friend."

"She considers you a friend, and that's a great start. Just keep treating her like a friend and see what happens. For now, she appears to enjoy your company more than the other two."

"Really? You think so?"

"Yes, but don't make it out to be a competition. She doesn't want to be possessed by anyone. She's an independent person and wants to be recognized for who she is and not how she looks."

"It's funny, Adam. While we were skipping stones at the lake, she was like one of them gals I went to school with instead of the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. It was fun."

"Ah, Hoss, you are well on your way. Now, maybe I can get Annie to back off on the matchmaking. Seems like you're doing just fine."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Where's Hoss?" Joe grabbed Adam's arm as he was about to pour some punch at the party. "We agreed that no one was going to monopolize Margaret tonight, and she's gone and he's gone."

"Joe, it could all be quite innocent, and doesn't the lady get some say in how her time will be spent?"

"Not when we made a deal."

It was very clear that Joe's temper was up. He had his shoulders bunched up and he was walking with the stiff legged toe walk he had when he was itching for a fight. To him, Margaret was a prize, and he thought he had the edge in the contest. Adam shook his head and tried to calm him down. "Joe, Margaret is a very intelligent woman. She would not be pleased to know that any of you made a deal about her. She would like to be asked and have the opportunity to make her own decision. In fact, I'm surprised that Hoss agreed to such a thing."

"Well, he didn't exactly. Preston and I told him how it was going to be. He nodded and smiled and walked out here. I thought he agreed to our deal."

"And I'm thinking that the two of you miscalculated on that one. Hoss knows better than to treat Margaret like some prize to be won in a carnival contest. Now there are many lovely ladies here tonight who would appreciate some attention. Why don't you find a willing partner and dance a bit?" Adam put his hand on Joe's arm to see if he could get him to look at him. It didn't work as Joe forcefully threw off his hand and stalked away. Annie came up to Adam after witnessing the altercation.

"Trouble?"

"Oh yeah. Joe wants his allotted time with our guest, and she's nowhere to be found."

"I think I saw her go into the stable with Hoss."

"The stable? I wonder what they're doing in there." Looking at Annie, Adam grinned. "But I am definitely not telling Joe, and I'm going in there to find out either. How about a dance, sweetheart?" The two of them forgot completely about the romantic endeavors of the brothers. As soon as Adam's hand was on her waist, Annie had no thoughts except of him. Adam felt her hand on his shoulder and the other in his hand, and it seemed like the temperature had risen exponentially. Her body pressed against his as they danced and her dress accentuated the curves of her figure quite nicely. "Is Andrew asleep?" At Annie's nod, Adam had a suggestion. "I think we ought to go check on him."

"In the middle of the party?"

"We're not the guests of honor, and we'll be back soon."

They were back a lot sooner than they intended for as they reached the house and began to climb the stairs, there was quite a commotion outside. Annie and Adam looked at each other, shrugged, and headed back outside. To say that Preston and Joe were making a scene was putting it mildly. Apparently, with Margaret off somewhere with Hoss, Preston had been decided to put his sights on other young ladies, and when he approached Mary Ellen Martin, Joe got jealous.

Joe started the altercation and it was escalating rapidly. "You're too old for her."

"Maybe what she wants is a man, not a boy." Preston's comments hit Joe where he was most sensitive.

"You shouldn't be chasing after her anyway as long as you're still married." That brought a hush to the crowd just as Adam and Annie got back outside but also when Margaret and Hoss walked out of the stable. Adam headed toward his brother and his friend stepping between them to try to stop the fight that was about to take place. Unfortunately, he stopped it in a way he had not intended as he got hit by blows from both men who had been aiming at each other of course. Adam dropped like a sack of grain. Both Joe and Preston knelt by his side immediately to see how he was but got pushed aside by Annie who pushed her way through.

"You boys! See what you've done with your childish games. Now get back to your corners and sit there until someone tells you it's all right to come out." At the efforts of the men to apologize, she sneered and said they could try that with Adam when he got his senses back. By then, Ben was there, and with Annie, managed to help Adam stagger back into the house. Hoss would have been there too but had his own problems. Margaret was still holding the kitten that Hoss had showed her. It had been orphaned and needed to be bottle fed. But more importantly, Margaret wanted Hoss to tell her why no one had mentioned to her that Preston was married. She stood looking at him with fiery eyes waiting for his response.

"Well, you weren't spending much time with him, and I didn't know if you knew or not."

"That is not acceptable. If I can't have honesty from a man, I don't want to spend time with him. Now what's the real reason you didn't tell me?"

"Well, ma'am, you see, he's getting a divorce so he won't be married much longer, and I didn't see it was my place to be telling tales on other folks. I figured if the two of you did spend some time together, it ought to be his responsibility to tell ya."

"Well, I still don't like it, but at least that answer makes sense. Thank you for being honest. Now I believe I have a kitten to feed, and at the moment, I think I would like to do it alone. I have some things to think about."

In the house, Hop Sing had brought water, cloths, and salve for Adam as Annie wiped his face and applied cool compresses to the rising lumps on either side of his face. "Next time, would you please try not to block those fists with your face, please?

His answer muffled by the sore jaw and the cloths, Adam agreed. It was difficult to understand what he said next so Annie asked him to repeat it. "I'm just glad it wasn't Hoss and Preston fighting."

Walking in the front door then, Hoss heard his statement. "I'm real sorry, Adam, that this silliness got you hurt. I guess it is about time to ask Margaret if she wants to spend time with any of us. Maybe she would just like to be with the ladies. We never asked what she wanted."

Ben stood and put his hand on Hoss' shoulder. "Son, you have learned a lot about women these last few days. Yes, it would be a good idea to ask Margaret what she would like to do."

"I agree." Margaret walked out of the kitchen with a small bottle of milk and egg that Hop Sing had prepared for the kitten. He had showed her how to feed the little one, and then handed her a towel so she could sit on a chair and do just that. "Hoss, I did enjoy our picnic and time at the lake. I wouldn't mind more excursions like that. I did like learning how to make noodles and then helping get ready for the party yesterday. I liked being introduced to this little kitten. I would like to dance too, but I don't like men out there staring at me and practically drooling as they line up for the dance they think I owe them."

Standing at the open door, Joe had heard it all. He walked in a bit sheepishly then. "I've apologized to everyone out there that I can. I owe a lot of apologies in here too. Adam, I am real sorry I lost my temper like that and that you got hurt because of it. Pa, I'm sorry to have acted that way at our party. Finally, Margaret, I am very sorry to have treated you the way I did because of how your beat. I wasn't being respectful of you as a person, and I apologize for that." Getting nods of acknowledgement all around, Joe thought it best that he keep quiet. He didn't often get that impulse but knew he should listen to that inner voice this time.

By then, Adam was laying on the settee with his head in Annie's lap. Ben decided he needed to head out to see to his guests, and with one last scowl for Joe and Hoss, he did just that. Annie looked at Hoss and used her head to indicate Margaret.

"Ah, ma'am, would you like to attend church with us tomorrow? Joe and I would be pleased if you would go with us. Maybe after church, we could take a ride to the lake but look at it from up on the ridges. It sure is pretty up there."

"Hoss and Joe, I would be very happy to do that. It sounds like a wonderful day. Will we be able to have a picnic? I seldom have been on picnics, and this is such a lovely setting out here for them."

Joe nodded and smiled. "Yes, ma'am, we'll help Hop Sing clean up later, and then see if he would put together a basket for us."

It was clear that Preston was out of the running, and he knew that too. He informed Adam later that he would be leaving as scheduled on Monday so that he could get started on the things he needed to do in San Francisco. He invited Adam, Annie, and the rest of the family to visit any time. He said he would be pleased to have them stay at his place as soon as he had one. The party concluded at a reasonable hour. Hoss and Joe got most of the cleanup duties with some help from Preston and Margaret but they often didn't know where things were supposed to go limiting their assistance. Adam went to bed with a headache, and Annie had to take care of Andrew.

The next day, Hoss and Joe were on their best behavior especially after they saw Adam at breakfast with a large bruise on either side of his face. Annie was shooting darts with her eyes daring anyone to say anything about it. Her plans for the previous evening had fallen apart and she wasn't at all happy about that. Adam and Annie stayed home when the others went to church. Adam did not want to have to deal with all the questions that his bruised face would cause. Hoss and Joe took Margaret on a picnic and a tour of the ridges where the views were spectacular. Hoss told her that Adam had once planned to build a house there for his family.

"Was? Why wouldn't he build here? It's the most beautiful spot I think I have ever seen with the lake, the trees, and the mountains. To walk out of your house every morning to this would be like living at heaven's gate."

"Ah, well, we had some trouble recently at the house. Adam's worried about having Annie and Andrew out here by themselves when he's working. Now he's planning to build nearer to the house just beyond that grove of trees in the back."

"What kind of trouble?"

So Hoss explained how he had fallen in love with a woman named Marsha who turned out to be on the run after moving all of a major criminal's assets into accounts that only she could access. Then when he came after them to get to her, she ran away. He mentioned that the authorities were looking for her in New Orleans, but no one had told them if they apprehended her or not.

"How did you meet her?"

"Well I thought it was just by accident, but she knew Adam, and she probably set up the meeting with me so she could get to the Ponderosa. We think she was setting us up right from the start. If we killed Manning, she was free and clear. If Manning killed us, then the whole Nevada government would have been after him, and he would never have gotten away."

"That's very cold-hearted. Could she really have been that immoral?"

"Yes, ma'am, she could." Hoss looked a bit beaten down by having to explain his whole part in that fiasco.

"Yep, big brother here sure knows how to pick em."

"Joe, that was quite cruel to say that to your brother." Margaret had looked at Hoss after Joe made that comment and could see that it hurt him.

"Margaret, we tease each other all the time." Joe got a little testy at Margaret's comment.

"Yes, I have enjoyed the banter too, but this one went too far. You should apologize, I think."

"It's all right, Margaret. He's like that all the time. Don't matter none." Hoss was used to Joe's barbed and sometimes hurtful comments. Unlike Adam's comments which were sometimes funny and sometimes barbed but never hurtful, Joe's had a way of hitting the sore spots with Hoss.

"Gees, Hoss, I didn't know that bothered you so much. I'm sorry."

"It's all right, Joe, but we should think about heading home. Those clouds are moving in fast, and we're a good hour from home yet."

They barely made it home before the storm hit. Hoss took the carriage as close to the house as he could, and Joe escorted Margaret inside. They shook the raindrops from themselves at the front door before entering. Ben asked where Hoss was just as thunder rattled the house windows.

"Oh, he's taking care of the horse and carriage. He told me to help Margaret to the house."

Ben knew then that Hoss had scored another point with Margaret by putting her first, and taking the onerous job and giving Joe the easy one. Margaret asked if Hoss was going to need some help, and Joe said he could handle everything just fine. Smiling at Joe's naiveté, Ben grabbed his slicker and one for Hoss and headed to the stable. Hop Sing brought out hot cocoa and cookies, setting a large portion aside that he said was for Mister Hoss as he gave Joe a disdainful look.

"What did I do?" Joe was wondering how he had made Hop Sing upset.

"Perhaps letting Hoss do all the dirty work, while you sit warm and snug inside." Adam may have said it, but Annie nodded.

"Well I guess I could go help."

Except that Hoss and Ben came in at that moment with a gust of wind. They took off their slickers and headed for the hot cocoa and cookies. Margaret slid over on the settee making room for Hoss to sit as she gave him a big grin. "Hop Sing said that plate is all yours, big man."

Annie was sitting on the arm of the chair where Adam was, and she leaned down and kissed him because she was so happy her matchmaking was going so well and didn't know what else to do. Adam grinned at her happiness while Joe was wondering what all the big smiles were about.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

On Monday morning, Adam brought Preston to town to catch the stage. Preston was only mildly disappointed not to have caught Margaret's fancy. For him, it would have been only a dalliance as he was looking forward to being with a number of women now that he was getting his freedom back.

"Didn't you ever cheat on your wife if you were so unhappy with her? It must have been difficult to be with someone so cold."

"No, I would not have an affair. You must remember that in college, I was very careful with whom I was seen. Now I did visit some houses to pay a fee to get physical relief, but there's no emotional entanglement and no relationship there."

"So, you're looking to do the same thing now?"

"Yes, as I will be quite busy, I would think, getting a suitable residence and setting up the law and business offices for our family businesses. Thank you for all those letters of introduction. They should be a big help. And I am sincere when I say I wish that you and Annie would visit sometime. She doesn't like me much now, but she may find I do have some qualities to be admired. I am a true and loyal friend, and my business ethics are above reproach which is getting to be more and more rare in this country."

"As soon as Andrew is weaned, I'm hoping that Annie will accompany me on a trip to San Francisco. It's usually at this time of year that we set up some of our lumber and cattle contracts, and I would like her to travel with me."

"Well, I look forward to that, my friend. It has been good visiting with you and learning about the West. There is so much more to life out here than I ever imagined."

Climbing aboard the stage, Preston nodded. He would travel by stage to Reno and then by train to California. Adam hoped to be making the same trip relatively soon. As he had talked with Preston, he had the distinct feeling that he was being watched, but each time he looked around, he saw no one that he thought was watching. After Preston left, the feeling persisted. He continually looked behind him and saw nothing. Roy stopped him as he was getting ready to head home.

"That little ruckus sure left its mark on you."

"Roy, I should have known better. Both of them were mad and I should never have tried to step between them."

"Adam, I done the same thing many a time and wondered afterwards if I shoulda done it, but you know, you stopped the whole situation from getting out of hand, and that's what I've thought too when something like that happened to me."

"Now you didn't stop me to compare bruises, so what's going on?"

"I thought you should know that they caught that gal that Hoss was so fond of. Caught up to her in New Orleans just like you thought they might. Now the problem is that she didn't rightly break no laws. The money wasn't hers, but as long as she turned it over, they decided to let her go."

"Let her go! She almost got my family killed!"

"I know, I know that, boy, but you see, they had to go by the law. What she did was plain mean, but there was no lawbreaking involved. Now that Manning is gonna be hung day after tomorrow at the state prison. But that gal could walk down this street right now, and there would be nothing I could do. Just thought that you and your family would like to know."

"Do they know where Marsha is?"

"No, they don't, but they did say she was headed west. Now that don't mean she was coming here, but I thought you ought to be warned just in case."

"Thanks, Roy. I'll tell everyone. You keeping an eye out for her too?"

"You can bet yer bottom dollar on that one. I don't like what she done, and I'll be watching her if she shows up here."

Bidding Roy good day, Adam went to the mercantile for some supplies, and then to the jewelry shop to see if his gift for Annie was ready. By noon, he was ready to head for home. Five hours later on the Ponderosa, the family was wondering where he was. Hoss and Joe had finished work for the day and were sitting on the porch visiting with Margaret. Annie was very worried.

"Adam should be home by now. He said he would be done with a couple of errands and come back for a late lunch. It's getting close to dinner now and he's still not back."

Ben tried to reassure her but was worried too. "Annie, I'm sure he's fine. Maybe Hoss or Joe can take a ride to go meet him and let him know how worried you are."

Taking the hint, Hoss immediately stood and headed to the stable. He looked back once, and then after an 'Oh, yeah', Joe jumped up to follow him. They saddled up different horses because theirs were tired after a full day of work and headed out as soon as possible. Joe thought they were wasting their time.

"Adam probably just found some other things to do in town."

"Joe, he wouldn't go grab a beer or two like me, and he wouldn't sit in on a poker game for a few or more hands like you. Now would he? Something really important delayed him, or something's wrong."

After about a half hour of riding, they saw the carriage horse standing in a pasture. Hoss rode up and found it still in its harness. He dismounted and looked at the harness and found several spots where it had been cut nearly through. As soon as Adam had reached a point on the road that put stress on those weakened spots, one gave way and that caused a chain reaction of the rest of them giving way. It was all very clear to Hoss what had happened. "Harness has been cut. We better hurry along now. Adam could be seriously hurt." Joe nodded. Neither one of them wanted to even think of the other possibilities. They found the carriage crashed down an embankment only about ten minutes later but there was no sign of Adam. They kept searching and finally Joe spotted a black clad figure leaning up against a tree.

"What happened?" Hoss dismounted and carried his canteen with him to where Adam was sitting.

"I take it you found the carriage and the horse. I felt the harness give way and knew that I wouldn't have control much longer. With that curve and hill coming up, I decided to jump. It all might have worked out rather well except I landed on a small rock and twisted my ankle. It's not bad, but it's a bitch to try to walk on it."

Joe offered to let Adam ride Cochise. "I'll ride the carriage horse when we get back there. It's not that far."

"Thank you, Joe. I know that's a big favor." Slowly standing, Adam accepted help from Hoss to walk to Cochise and then mount up. Joe climbed on the back of Chubb with Hoss and they went slowly back to where the carriage was. "You might want to see if the supplies can be salvaged. If they're stacked here on the side, we can pick them up rather easily." Hoss walked down the hill carefully and salvaged what he could while Joe retrieved the carriage horse. They were on their way in less than a half hour.

"Is this going to knock you out of the bronc busting at the rodeo on Saturday?"

"No, I'm hoping Hop Sing will work some of his magic so I can do that. I won't be racing though. That would be too much."

"How long ago did it happen?" Joe was sliding into detective mode.

"I left town about noon. What time is it now?"

"Close to six, so about five hours ago. Well whoever cut those traces didn't follow up. Now I wonder why. Seems like someone was intent on killing you."

"The traces were cut?" Adam looked from Joe to Hoss and could tell from their expressions that they were serious. "I just thought one of the repairs didn't hold up. I had no idea it was on purpose. So someone in town must have done it while I was busy getting supplies and other stuff."

"What other stuff?"

"I saw Roy, I got the supplies Hop Sing ordered, and I checked on an order I made a week ago. I had this funny feeling while I was in town that someone was watching me, but every time I looked around, I didn't see a man who looked interested at all."

"What if it wasn't a man?"

Suddenly remembering the news he needed to relay, Adam also got a strong suspicion over who might be behind this attempt on his life. "You're right. I should have considered that it might be a woman especially because Roy told me Marsha is on the loose."

"What?" Hoss turned in the saddle so quickly, he nearly unhorsed himself and had to work to calm Chubb down. "How could she be free after what she did?"

"Apparently no matter how unethical and immoral she was, she didn't break any laws, or at least she didn't break any major laws. The authorities allowed her to give up the money and walk away from it. All they know after that is that she headed west."

"We need to alert everyone on the ranch to be on the lookout for her. She probably hates you, and she can't have very good feelings about Hoss at this point either."

"Joe, why would she hate Adam?"

"Cause he's the one who gave them the tip on how to catch her. She'd be a rich woman living the good life in New Orleans except for his information. They had no idea where to look for her except for Adam's clue. I'm guessing that someone told her they got a tip or she figured it out for herself."

Adam finished the rest of the idea. "And now she's disguised so no one will recognize her. The town is big enough now that someone new to town, especially a woman, can go about town with no one thinking twice about it."

For the next two days, Adam and Annie spent more time with Margaret than Hoss and Joe did. The two younger brothers had more work to do as Adam was laid up again. Everyone on the ranch was on the alert watching for a woman on the Ponderosa who might be Marsha. Joe rode into town early on Tuesday to let Roy know what they had surmised. With that information, Roy was going to take a more careful look at any women he passed in town. Up in the second floor of the cheapest hotel in the city, Marsha watched Roy looking around at women and realized they probably knew she was in town. Apparently the trick with the harness had not done the job at getting Adam out of the way, but there was rodeo on Saturday with all sorts of opportunities. She had plenty of time to plot.

With nothing resolved by Saturday, Annie wanted Adam to stay at home and skip the rodeo. He refused to be tied to the ranch because of a threat. Ben advised Hoss and Joe not to let Adam out of their sight at the rodeo, and he talked to Candy to alert the men that there might be an attempt to do harm to Adam at the rodeo. With those assurances, Annie reluctantly agreed to attend. She would spend most of her time sitting with Andrew, and Margaret and Michele agreed to stay with her. She knew why. They suspected that a threat against Adam could include her and her son. All three ladies were given small caliber handguns that they could put in their skirt pockets. All of them were surprised when Margaret had told them she could shoot.

"Did you forget that my father was a ship's captain too at one point? We may be wealthy but our roots are pretty basic. He taught me to shoot when I was about twelve."

Nothing happened on the way in, and when Roy saw them, he told them that he had not located anyone fitting Marsha's description at all. Joe and Adam went to the corral first to participate in the draw for horses for the bronc busting. The horses had numbers attached prominently to their halters. Numbers were drawn and the horses and riders were listed on a large chalkboard borrowed from the school. Joe rode in the race, but the betting was slow as most people assumed he would win, and he did. There were shooting contests and all of the Cartwright men participated. Joe and Adam won some of the pistol contests, and Hoss and Adam won some of the rifle contests. They brought their prizes to where the ladies were waiting and had lunch as a big group. Andrew fell asleep so Adam offered to sit with him while the ladies took a walk around the booths. Joe and Hoss had turns in the kissing booth which Margaret found highly amusing. Annie pushed her to buy a ticket for each one. Annie declined to buy any as she assured Margaret that the booth was not meant for married ladies. Then the big event of the day was called: the bronc busting. There was a lot of betting on this event because there were many men who did this so well that no one could predict a winner. People chose their favorites and bet.

After several riders, Joe was up and had a great ride sticking to the back of his horse longer than anyone had to that point. Several other riders had their turns until Adam was up. Joe got concerned as he watched the horse Adam was to ride because the horse seemed highly agitated. Adam got into the chute and out several times as the handlers tried to get the horse to settle down. Finally it seemed the horse was ready. Adam sat down and wrapped the leathers around his gloved hand before signaling to let him loose. It was clear from the first jump the horse made that he was out of his head. He twisted and turned, and made every effort to dislodge Adam who was hanging on at this point just trying to survive the ride. The men in the corral did their best to try to corner the animal to get Adam off its back before he got hurt but couldn't manage to push the horse into a secure spot. Adam felt every jolt up his spine as the horse bucked harder than any he could remember. His arm was feeling like lead as his muscles ached for relief. Twisting and turning as it continued to buck, the horse threw Adam who crashed into the corral fence putting his left arm out to protect his head and managing to twist in the air so that he hit the fence broadside instead of straight on like a missile. Luckily, the two riders in the corral had managed to slow the horse down some and the throw wasn't deadly. Hoss and Joe jumped into the corral to help pull Adam to safety as the horse continued to rear and stomp about. Annie and Doctor Martin were at Adam's side in seconds. After a quick examination, Paul told them to bring Adam to his office for he had a broken left arm and a bump on the head that needed some attention. All in all, it had been very lucky for Adam to have survived at all. With Hoss and Joe on either side, Adam walked slowly to Paul's office feeling every step as a jolt up his body.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"It's jimson weed." Joe and Hoss had gone to the corral where the broncs were to try to understand why the horse had acted so crazy. They had left Annie and the rest of the family at Doctor Martin's office so Adam was well protected. Joe had walked around the corral as Hoss had looked in on the horse that was now secured in a stall inside the stable. Hoss heard Joe's yell, and when he came outside, Joe dropped some green plant material in his hand. "Hoss, somebody fed some jimson weed to that horse."

"Joe, how do you know that?"

"Hoss, the closest jimson weed to this town is miles away. That didn't get here by accident, and if you look at it carefully, you can see something sticky on it. It looks like honey to me. That's how somebody got the horse to eat it."

"Well, how would anybody know which horse Adam was going to ride?"

Pointing at the chalkboard that still had names of riders and the numbers of the horses they had drawn, Joe looked smug. He liked being a detective even if he didn't like the reason he was doing it. "Hoss, someone is seriously trying to get rid of Adam. Now who do you suppose it is?" But Joe knew as did Hoss who the likely culprit was. The hard part was going to be finding her they thought, but that turned out to be easier than expected. When they returned to Doctor Martin's office, they met most of the family leaving. Annie needed to go feed Andrew, and everyone else except Margaret was going back to the picnic area for lunch.

"Adam wants to rest, and Paul said it's the best thing for him right now. I would stay but Andrew is too fussy and would disturb Adam right now. I'll bring him back after lunch, and he can sleep next to Adam. That will be good for both of them. Margaret volunteered to sit with him until then, and said she would have lunch with the two of you when you got back. I guess we didn't expect you back so soon."

Annie continued on her walk with Michele and Ben. Hoss and Joe began to fill the others in on what they had found out stopping everyone in their tracks. Ben was the first to react. "We should probably leave more than Margaret watching over Adam then. That woman has tried twice already so we should expect she won't give up."

"Pa, why don't you and Michele stay with Annie and Andrew. Joe and me will make sure to keep Adam safe. If you see Roy, could you let him know what we found out?"

Agreeing that Hoss had a good plan, Ben and Michele escorted Annie and Andrew to a quiet spot where they could have lunch. Joe and Hoss reversed course and headed back to the doctor's office. Joe said he was going around back to make sure no one was there. What he heard as he passed by the open window where Adam was made him duck down and hurry.

"You are a tough one to get rid of. Although leaving a pretty woman as your guardian wasn't very smart."

"Why do you want to kill me, Marsha?"

"You keep getting in the way. Without you, they never would have caught me. Now I'm back to see if I can get some help from Hoss, and he wouldn't do that without talking with you about it. I'm just eliminating complications."

"What about Margaret? She's seen you and heard what you had to say."

"Collateral damage. Can't be helped in my business. Now I'm just going to wait until the next set of firecrackers get set off by some of those boys outside, so if you have any prayers to say, now would be the time."

From the office, Hoss had heard everything Marsha said but knew there were a bunch of boys just outside likely to light some firecrackers at any minute. He barged into the room to delay Marsha shooting anyone and hoped that Joe would be there soon to help. Hoss shoved the door open and then stood as if in shock seeing Marsha holding a gun on Adam. Margaret was to her side looking calmer than Hoss would have expected. "Hey, what's going on here? Marsha, what are you doing?" Knowing his presence had just messed up her plans, Hoss wondered what she would do. He waited with a forlorn expression hoping she would start talking, and she did finally but not in a ladylike way. It was mostly curses.

Thinking furiously, Marsha wasn't coming up with any more ideas. This had been a desperate plan from the start, and now that it had already failed, she wasn't certain what she should do. Slowly she regained her equilibrium just as Joe pushed through the door. He was unarmed so she wasn't too worried about him. "I guess I'll just have to eliminate the witnesses and cut my losses. There'll be other chances in other towns."

As Marsha pointed the pistol at Hoss, she suddenly felt cold steel on her neck. "I don't think that's going to work either." Margaret had drawn a small pistol and was holding the barrel of it tight to Marsha's neck.

"I could still shoot one of them. Do you want to take that chance? Just let me go and everybody lives."

"You're not going anywhere." Marsha glanced back at Joe who had drawn the pistol he had in the back waistband of his pants. Hoss had drawn the pistol that Marsha had made him drop to the floor. Marsha swung her pistol to the bed planning to use Adam as a hostage to gain her freedom, but he wasn't there any more. Defeated, she lowered her pistol and Margaret took it from her hand. Two men walked in the room then with pistols drawn.

"We'll take it from here, Maggie."

Adam stood up by the bed where he had hidden and had the same dumbstruck look that Hoss and Joe had. "What's going on here?"

Margaret gave a sardonic little grin. "I suppose I ought to explain. My name is Margaret or Maggie to my friends. I work for the government. I was sent here as soon as we realized Marsha was headed west and that we had lost track of her. Your father knew but no one else, and I would like you to continue to keep my secret if you would please. These men will take Marsha to Carson City where she will stand trial now on two counts of attempted murder, multiple assault charges, and anything else we can find to add to the list."

"Then you were just using us?"

"No, Joe, I was sent here to protect you. We just didn't think it was murder that would be on her mind. We thought she was ready to do another scam, but I called for help when I realized she was more dangerous than we had assumed. Sorry about the horse, Adam, but we didn't know what her feeding the horse would do. I guess there's still a lot about the West that I have to learn."

By that time, the two male agents had handcuffed Marsha and led her away. Hoss was looking crestfallen, but Adam was intrigued.

"I've never met someone who worked for the government and was so beautiful before."

"My looks get me close to men a lot faster than any other method. I get information usually. It was only necessity that made me break my cover this time. I couldn't let her shoot someone."

"Then everything was a cover story?"

"No, Hoss, my father does know your father, and my father was a sea captain although I don't think that the two of them knew each other then. My father sailed out of Baltimore. My father is a wealthy man and is in Sacramento right now. He knows what I do, and he supports it. There are far too many dishonest people hurting others. Hoss, is there somewhere we could go to talk?"

As Margaret and Hoss left the room, Adam lounged on the bed rubbing his upper left arm. Joe grabbed a chair and turned it around sitting on it backwards. "All right, did you have any idea about Margaret?"

"None at all. She's very good."

On the back porch of Doctor Martin's office, Margaret was trying to explain her situation to Hoss who leaned against a porch support and stared off into the distance. "I know Marsha hurt you by acting one way and being another. Hoss, I'm not like her."

"Aren't you? You just work for the right side, but you did the same thing."

"No, I needed all of you to act naturally around me. If I told you, you would have acted differently and that would have made it more difficult for me to do my job. Hoss, believe me, please, that when I was with you, I wasn't acting. I do like you, and I like being with you. That won't change now because you know what I do, will it? Please tell me that you will still want to spend time with me? You've become very important to me in a very short time, and I would like to see you again if you can stand it."

Hoss dropped his head until his chin rested on his chest. He looked so forlorn that Margaret wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she was afraid he might just bat her hand away. Hoss turned to her then, and she didn't even realize she was holding her breath waiting to hear what he would say. "So ifn I was to kiss you, you wouldn't object?"

Margaret almost cried then, but instead stepped toward Hoss. "I would be very happy to kiss you. I had to hold back before because I had a job to do, but I think I can take some time off now and just be me."

Reaching for Margaret then, Hoss pulled her into an embrace and kissed her with all the pent up passion he had. He wanted to see how she would react. He felt that was the only answer that mattered to him at the moment. When she met his passion with her own, he smiled even though he was kissing her at the time. He leaned back and looked into her eyes. "Can I call you Maggie?"

Smiling Maggie stood on her tiptoes and kissed him gently. "Yes, that would be lovely."

"I think there's a picnic lunch that was promised?"

Maggie slipped her arm through Hoss' elbow and the two went in the house to collect Joe. He held a finger to his lips to indicate that Adam was sleeping and then whispered to them. "I better stay here until Annie gets back. I'll join you then at the picnic area if that's all right." Joe got a grin from each of them. He sat back down pleased with how things had turned out. Mary Ellen Martin had watched him in the race and at the bronc busting, and he had a date for the dance with her. Adam was safe. Hoss was in love. It was a good day.

Maggie extended her stay for two weeks as she and Hoss got to know one another better. Maggie usually worked where the government sent her, but she asked for a permanent assignment closer to Virginia City. They assigned her to fraud cases especially relating to government contracts so she would no longer be working undercover which was a great relief to Hoss. The two planned to spend time together when they could and see if their relationship would develop into more. Annie began weaning Andrew, and Adam made plans for the two of them to take a week to travel to San Francisco. It was the longest he could get Annie to agree to be gone from their son. The foundation work had begun on their new house, and Adam wanted to see what items he could get from San Francisco for the interior and what he would have to order. Joe started spending his weekends with Mary Ellen and Ben hoped that meant his youngest son was thinking about settling down at least a little. As long as he was seeing Mary Ellen, there weren't any late nights in town gambling and drinking so that much was a relief to the worried father. For a time, Ben could relax a bit and enjoy his life with a wife at his side, and his sons safe and at home.

Adam and Annie went outside for a walk, and Ben heard 'Je t'aime!' which he had heard a lot lately from the two of them. He didn't speak any French but he knew what those words meant just by how they were said. That night as he slid into bed with Michele, he whispered the words to her. She kissed him soundly and whispered to him. "Je t'aime!"


End file.
